Chapter 1
Scootaloo woke up to find herself shrouded in total darkness, trying to push herself upwards, she felt her head bang against what felt like wood. Trying to move the rest of her body she felt them bang against several walls, and that was when she made the terrifying realisation that she was trapped inside of a small box. She tried to open the lid but it was no use, it was as if it had been nailed shut.
She began to panic as the feeling of claustrophobia overtook her senses. To make matters worse, she had no idea how she had gotten there to begin with. She banged her hooves against the lid all the while screaming “HEEEELP, SOMEPONY HELP ME!” However, no pony could hear her.
In an act of desperation, she slammed her head against the lid causing it to crack. Doing it again, she noticed that the lid appeared to start bending inwards, then to her horror, the box caved in, covering her head with what appeared to be dirt, smothering her.
Scootaloo had no idea what had just happened but she began to panic as she realised that she couldn’t breathe. Opening her mouth she tried to breathe in, only to inhale dirt. Coughing she used her hooves to try and dig herself out. Suddenly her hoof broke through the pile of soil. Feeling the cold against her hoof she pushed the rest of her body out and sighed a breath of relief.
Looking around she noticed that she was in the middle of a cemetery. That's when she noticed that she was lying in front of a tombstone. Reading the inscription upon the headstone her face turned to horror as she read each word.
R.I.P
Here lies Scootaloo, a loving friend, sister and crusader.
She may be gone but she is not forgotten
Cutie Mark Crusader’s forever
Scootaloo then noticed several flowers and cards that looked to have aged with time. She also noticed her scooter with her iconic, purple and white striped helmet hanging from its strap on one of the handlebars. She noticed that it had several spots of rust adorning it.
Looking down at the cards, she felt tears beginning to form as she realised they were of her friends.
To Scootaloo,
I’m going to miss you, It is not the same without you. We will carry on the mission of finding our cutie marks but we will never forget you. Cutie Mark Crusaders forever.
From your friend, Apple Bloom
She then moved on to the next card.
To Scootaloo,
Why did you have to leave us, leave me? I can’t stand it, not having you around anymore. Every time I close my eyes I see your face, bearing that cocky smile you always wore. I always wanted to tell you that I love you. It will never be the same without you.
Love from Sweetie Belle
Wiping away her tears, she finally moved on to the last card.
To Scootaloo,
I miss you. You were always my number one fan. I am going to miss your laugh, your look of happiness. I am so sorry, this was all my fault, I couldn’t save you. I am such a failure
Love from your big sister Rainbow Dash
Scootaloo was speechless. Questions rushed through her mind causing her head to ache. She began to ask herself “Am I dead? Am I a ghost, What happened to me?” However, she had no answer.
She didn’t know what to do, she wanted to see her friends but she was worried about how they would see her.
***
She started to walk towards Ponyville, she wanted to see if anything had changed. She knew that the town would be empty because of the fact that it was night time.
The first thing that she noticed was a giant, crystal castle sitting on top of a hill, overlooking the sleeping town.
As she got into town, she spied a discarded black cloak and instantly snatched it up. Placing it over her body and pulling the hood over her head, hiding her face.
As she walked through town, she noticed several new buildings that she had never seen before. When she arrived at the town square, the old fountain that had a statute of a mare, appeared to have been replaced by the statue of a pegasus fully, riding a scooter and smiling down at any passers-by. That was when Scootaloo froze, as she realised that the statue was supposed to be her. Feeling slightly creeped out as she stared at the stone version of herself, she then noticed that there was writing engraved along the base of the fountain. Looking closer, she noticed that the words spelt This fountain is dedicated to Scootaloo, a brave filly who sacrificed herself for her friends
Scootaloo tried to remember, how she had died but nothing came to her. She didn't know what to do. She eventually decided to head to her old clubhouse, where she would hang out with her friends as well as hold meetings with both the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Rainbow Dash Fan Club.
***
Walking through the apple orchards of Sweet Apple Acres reminded her of her friend Apple Bloom, it seemed like it was only yesterday when they were eating some of Granny Smith's famous apple pie, all the while discussing new ways of getting their cutie marks.
When she arrived at the clubhouse, she was shocked to find that the old treehouse had seen better days. The old structure appeared to have been abandoned with paint peeling off the walls and the support beams having several long cracks running across their lengths. The former clubhouse looked like it was ready to give up and collapse.
Scootaloo was slightly scared that the whole thing would fall down if she put any weight on it. Taking a deep breath, she slowly put her hoof on the ramp, pausing and listening for any signs that the structure might give in. She breathed a sigh of relief as there was none. She repeated the process as she climbed the ramp, wincing every time she heard the wood creak. Finally reaching the top of the ramp, she entered the house and was surprised to find that everything was untouched and looked the same as when she last saw it.
Looking around, she saw the old list of attempts at finding their cutie marks and map of Ponyville that was stuck to the walls. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, showing how long it had been since somepony was last at the clubhouse. This shocked Scootaloo as for her it had only been yesterday when they were plotting ways of gaining their cutie marks and planning the next meeting for the Rainbow Dash Fan Club. She then noticed a small picture of her and her two friends, as a single tear rolled down her cheek, she realized that she needed to find her friends and get some answers.